New Delhi, October 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Centre has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, introducing provisions for vehicles running on 100 per cent ethanol (E100) fuel, along with changes to emission standards and fuel-related testing requirements. The amendments came into effect on Monday.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the government has expanded references to ethanol-based fuels by replacing several mentions of E85 with “E85 or E100” in emission standards and testing provisions.
However, the notification clarifies that E85 or E100 fuel can be used only in flex-fuel vehicles specifically designed for these fuels by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
The amendments also revise certain vehicle and fuel classifications. These include increasing the gross vehicle weight threshold in one emission-related table from 3,000 kg to 3,500 kg.
Other changes cover references to hydrogen-compressed natural gas (HCNG), petrol blended with up to 20 per cent ethanol (E20), biodiesel standards, and technical corrections to emission-testing tables and accompanying notes.
The move comes amid the government’s broader push to expand ethanol blending and promote alternative fuels as part of efforts to reduce dependence on conventional fossil fuels.
Earlier this year, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that running a car entirely on ethanol could bring fuel costs down to the equivalent of around Rs 25 per litre.
“Ethanol is being used in 19 countries in the world and today no complaint is coming from any vehicle in India,” Gadkari said.
Meanwhile, India’s ethanol industry could face rising demand if the country moves towards an E25 petrol-blending scenario. According to a report by Brickwork Ratings, ethanol demand could reach 17.9 billion litres by the financial year 2030-31 under its base-case scenario.
The report noted that India’s existing installed distillation capacity of 18.25 billion litres is sufficient to meet projected demand under both the base and bear scenarios.
Under the base case, ethanol demand would use approximately 98 per cent of the existing capacity. If blending remains at E20, demand under the bear case is estimated at 14.3 billion litres, implying capacity utilisation of around 78 per cent.
The new provisions establish regulatory recognition for E100 fuel in compatible flex-fuel vehicles. However, actual use will depend on vehicle compatibility, as the government has restricted E85 and E100 to models specifically engineered by manufacturers to operate on these fuels.
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